This study examines the implementation and effectiveness of community services order and rehabilitation of offenders within the context of Eldoret of Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. The specific objectives were: to assess the effectiveness of community service programme in rehabilitating offenders; to highlight the communities attitudes and perceptions towards community service; to investigate the kind of crimes /offences committed by people who are sentenced by courts to do community service; to evaluate the general and salient challenges facing the correctional agenda of community service programme; to identify the constraints faced by offenders in the work placement agencies.
The data for this study was collected from primary and secondary sources. The study comprised of a random sample of 220 respondents composed of male serving offenders’, women serving offenders, men who completed serving and women who completed serving. The focus group discussion participants included 8 community members, 8 victims and 4 local chiefs. A cross- sectional survey based on sample of eleven major estates was applied (Huruma, town Centre, Maili Nne, Mwanzo, Kamukunji, West Indies, Kipkaren, Pioneer, Langas, Chepkoilel and Air strip) within Eldoret Municipality. The data from completed questionnaires were cleaned, coded and entered into the computer and analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS). The study findings indicates that the community service is an effective way of creating a favourable environment for the victims and offenders to reconcile.
The study also confirmed that the community service programme was an alternative measure to imprisonment and accelerates reconciliation between offenders with their victims as well as with their communities. This facilitates their reintegration into the community. Additionally, the finding established the need for community service programme as a non-custodial measure that should further be strengthened and supported by the government and stake holders. The implementation of such programme should be seen as responsibility of every Kenyan and endeavours should be made for its success as a new intervention to replace physical imprisonment. Since the area under study is representative, of the community service order implementation in Kenya; the finding have a potentiality for national application. The study adds knowledge to the area of community service order as a penal reform measure.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
- Background to the Study
- Statement of the Problem
- Research Questions
- The Objectives of the Study
- Hypotheses prepositions
- Justification and Significance of the Study
- Scope of the Study
- Outline of Chapters
- CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
- Introduction
- Historical Background of Punishment
- Various Perspectives of Punishment
- Punishment as Retribution
- Punishment as Deterrent
- Punishment as a Rehabilitative Measure
- Desistance rehabilitative measures
- Development of Community Service: International Perspective
- Community Service Experience in North America
- Community Service Experience in New Zealand and Australia
- Community Service Experience in Western Europe
- Community Service in Ireland
- Community service experience in Zimbabwe
- Community service Experience in Uganda
- The Kenyan Experience with Community Service
- Prison reforms in Kenya
- Probation Sentences as a means of decongesting prisons
- Gaps in literature
- Reparation and Restorative Justice
- Theoretical framework
- Behaviourist Theories in Working with Offenders
- Social Learning theories
- Social Cognitive Theory
- Pro-Social Modelling
- CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
- Introduction
- Geographical Location of the Study Area
- Research Design
- Target Population
- Sampling procedure and sample Size
- Sample Size
- Methods of data collection
- Interview schedule
- Interview guide
- Observation
- Focus Group Discussions
- Key Informant Interviews
- Reliability and validity of Research Instruments
- Validity of Research Instruments
- Reliability of research Instruments
- Methods of Data Analysis
- Problems encountered in the field
- Ethical considerations
- CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION AND DATA ANALYSIS
- Introduction
- Background information of the respondents
- Sex of the respondents
- Age of the Respondents
- Marital Status of the respondents
- Level of Education of the respondents
- Occupational Status of respondents
- Community Service Order
- Respondents' Knowledge of community service order
- Kinds of Offences Committed by Community service offenders
- Community's, stakeholders Attitudes and Perceptions towards Community Service
- Attitudes To Community Service Order
- Key Informants Perception towards Offenders on Community Service
- Perception of Victims towards Community Service Order
- Perception of Offenders and Ex-offenders regarding Community Service
- Benefits/Strength of the Community Service Programme
- Benefit to the Community
- Benefits to the Offender
- Community service programme as a way of reconciliation between the victim and offender
- Preferred mode of sentence in the judicial system
- Offenders prior knowledge on community service order
- Community service and reformation of the offenders
- Recommended Offenders for Community Service Intervention
- Weaknesses of the Community Service Programme
- Overall Effectiveness of the Community Service Programme
- The Community
- The Victims
- The Offender
- The Judiciary
- Critical appraisal of community service and rehabilitating offenders
- Challenges facing Community service programme
- Research prepositions
- The effectiveness of community service orders in rehabilitating offenders.
- The role of community service in promoting restorative justice and reconciliation between offenders and victims.
- The perceptions of various stakeholders, including offenders, victims, community members, and judicial officials, towards community service programs.
- The challenges and potential improvements for community service programs in Kenya.
- The historical and theoretical underpinnings of punishment, community service, and rehabilitation.
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This study examines the efficacy and effectiveness of community service orders as a sentencing option in the Kenyan justice system. It seeks to understand the experiences of offenders, victims, and stakeholders in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya, in relation to community service and its potential for rehabilitation.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
Chapter One introduces the study, defining its focus on community service orders in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. It outlines the background of the study, the research problem, objectives, and hypotheses. This chapter delves into the historical and theoretical contexts of punishment and crime, exploring different perspectives like retribution, deterrence, and rehabilitation. It also examines the changing nature of crime and the evolving approach to criminal justice systems in Kenya.
Chapter Two delves into a comprehensive literature review, exploring both international and Kenyan perspectives on community service and its historical development. It examines various models and experiences from North America, New Zealand, Australia, Western Europe, Ireland, Zimbabwe, and Uganda. The chapter also critically analyzes the Kenyan experience with prison reforms and probation sentences. It further explores the theoretical frameworks underpinning the study, including behavioral theories, social learning theories, social cognitive theory, and pro-social modeling. The chapter ends by examining the limitations in existing research on community service and its potential for offender rehabilitation.
Chapter Three details the research methodology employed in the study. It outlines the study area, research design, target population, sampling procedure, and methods of data collection. This chapter describes the data analysis techniques utilized and addresses the ethical considerations involved in the research.
Chapter Four presents and analyzes the collected data, focusing on the background of the respondents, their experiences with community service, and their perceptions of the program. It explores the effectiveness of community service in terms of its impact on offenders, victims, and the community as a whole. This chapter also discusses the benefits and challenges of the community service program, examining the attitudes of key stakeholders and their perspectives on its implementation.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The primary focus of this study revolves around community service orders, offender rehabilitation, restorative justice, victim-offender reconciliation, criminal justice system, Kenya, Uasin Gishu County, and stakeholder perspectives. The research draws upon theoretical frameworks like behavioral theories, social learning theories, and social cognitive theory, exploring the potential of community service programs to promote positive change and reduce recidivism rates.
- Quote paper
- Kiba Daniel Kurui (Author), 2008, A Study on Community Service Order in Uasin Gishu County in Kenya, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/490365
